Intro to Tana Live-Search Series
Welcome back. Thank you for subscribing to Tana Deconstructed, where we break down TANA node by node for beginners.
This article introduces the Tana Live Search Basic Concepts Series.
Remember, these deconstruction articles aren’t for easy reading. Consider them more as a reference than an article you’d read from beginning to end. Think of them as a supplement to the ever-evolving Tana documentation.
One of Tana's strengths is that you don't have to be a programmer to write a darn good query.
Like most beginners, I started building queries using their Query Builder invoked using Tana's command line CMD-K (CTRL-K Windows) and select “Find nodes...” and the options you want. This feature walks you through building a query with step-by-step prompts. So, yeah, you don't have to be a programmer to build queries using this super cool feature.
But when I went beyond the Query Builder, though, and tried building queries on my own; I failed miserably.😭
Perhaps, building searches was really meant for programmers. After much experimentation, though, it finally clicked. My failures weren't because I wasn't a programmer; I failed because I hadn't yet grasped a few fundamental Tana search concepts.
Understand these concepts, and even beginners can build their own queries in Tana without the help of the query builder. There is more to learn for more complex searches, but these basic concepts will enhance your confidence in building your own searches and deepen your knowledge of Tana.
There are a few basic concepts to grasp:
Search Expression Box and What it Tells You
Search Structure and Order
The Difference Between Plain Text Values, Search Operators, System Nodes, and System Fields.
The Search Node Itself and Its Relation to Other Nodes
We'll cover each of the concepts in detail in multi-part deconstruction articles.
The links will be added below as each Live Search concept is deconstructed.
The first deconstruction in this Live Search Expression series is:
Article #1: Search Expression Box and What it Tells You
Enjoy!
I’m not an expert at Tana, nor do I work for them. As a passionate volunteer and avid user, researching these deconstructions helps me learn, but I write them to help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made as a beginner. I’ve done my utmost to ensure the accuracy of this information including extensive testing and review by other Tana users more experienced than I am. That said, I’m human. I make mistakes. If you find an error - please comment here, DM me on SLACK @Dee Todd or DM me on Twitter @denisehtodd.